Chicago’s best apartment website gets better

by Joe Zekas on 2/6/12

Several months ago we opined that Apartments.com, a national site owned by a group of major newspapers, was the stand-out choice for renters searching for larger apartment complexes and high-rises along Chicago’s lakefront. It earned that distinction by having a large cohort of advertising properties and serving up a great deal of useful information about each, including links to the property websites.

One shortcoming we noted was the lack of information about which apartments were actually available for rent. Properties that have timely availability information accessible online have now made that information available through Apartments.com. A “Check availability” link simply takes you to a form where you can request information. A “View availability” or “View available units” link brings back a list of specific units, prices and availability dates. A useful time-saver.

Another plus for Apartments.com is that you’ll often see special offers – rent discounts, fee waivers, etc. – featured in the search results grid.

Limit what you’re looking at on Apartments.com to properties tagged as advertised by the management company. Apartment rental services have been actively spamming the site with junk listings deceptively tagged “By owner.”